1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer for printing on a rolled-paper recording sheet or the like by a thermal printing method. More particularly, the invention relates to a printer with a rolled-paper holder capable of supporting rolled papers of different widths.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, this type of the printer includes a rolled-paper holder that is shaped like a box that receives a rolled paper. A recording paper is fed from the rolled-paper holder on and along a transporting path.
The related art rolled-paper holder is sized so as to receive a rolled paper having a prescribed width. However, it is often necessary to use a rolled paper whose width is smaller than the prescribed size.
To cope with this, there is an approach to enable the rolled-paper holder to flexibly hold rolled paper of different width values. In this approach, a partitioning member is set at a predetermined location within the rolled-paper holder thereby securing a space of a desired size within the sheet holder.
However, in the related art printer, when the partitioning member is set within the rolled-paper holder, the partitioning member is frequently set in a state wherein it rises above the bottom of the rolled-paper holder, or in a state wherein it is oblique to the side walls of the rolled-paper holder.
Accordingly, the related art printer suffers from the following problems. A recording sheet rolled out of the rolled paper is caught in a gap that is formed between the partitioning member and the rolled-paper holder. Also, the side face of the rolled paper comes in contact with the oblique partitioning member and, hence, the recording sheet rolled out is also oblique. In the related art printer that merely uses the partitioning member, when the partitioning member is used for holding the rolled paper, the rolled-paper holder cannot support the rolled paper in the same state as when the partitioning member is not used.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a printer with a rolled-paper holder that is able to support rolled papers of different width values in a like and stable state.
1. Manner of Solving the Problems
To achieve the above object, there is provided a printer comprising:
a print mechanism for printing characters on a recording sheet rolled out of a rolled paper;
a rolled-paper holder including a bottom wall having a first contact bottom portion and a second contact bottom portion that support a first rolled paper while being in contact with a part of a circumferential outer surface of said first rolled paper and, a first contact side wall and a second contact side wall, which are located on opposite sides of said bottom wall and which are substantially parallel to each other, wherein the first contact side wall and the second contact side wall may come in contact with a side face of said first rolled paper;
a partitioning member being locatable between said first contact side wall and said second contact side wall of said rolled-paper holder, said partitioning member includes a third contact side wall which may come in contact with a second rolled paper whose width is narrower than that of said first rolled paper, and a third contact bottom portion which is provided on said third contact side wall in a direction substantially perpendicular to said third contact side wall; and
a coupling mechanism enabling said partitioning member to be set in said rolled-paper holder such that said first contact side wall and said third contact side wall are substantially parallel to each other while being spaced from each other by a predetermined distance.
In the printer thus constructed, the partitioning member includes the third contact side portion and the third contact bottom portion. Accordingly, when the partitioning member is set in the rolled-paper holder, it rises to the bottom portion of the rolled-paper holder, and no gap is formed between the third contact side portion and the third contact bottom portion. The printer is free from the problem wherein a recording sheet rolled out of the rolled paper is caught in a gap. For the third contact side portion and the third contact bottom portion, the outer surface of the rolled paper is supported in the same state.
In the printer, the coupling mechanism may include engaging portion which selectively set a spatial interval between said first and third contact side walls to one of a plurality of spatial intervals so as to allow said partitioning member to support said second rolled paper or a third rolled paper whose width is narrower than that of said second rolled paper.
In the invention, the partitioning member is positioned at several positions within the rolled-paper holder. Accordingly, the rolled-paper holder may be set to accept plural types of rolled papers by using only one partitioning member.
Further, the coupling mechanism preferably includes a snap-fitting mechanism.
Also in the invention, the partitioning member preferably includes an elastic contact portion of said third contact bottom portion, wherein said elastic contact portion is partially separated from said third contact side wall, said coupling mechanism further including an engaging hook on said elastic contact portion, and said rolled-paper holder includes an engaging part which contacts said engaging hook when said partitioning member is inserted in said rolled-paper holder.
In the invention, the elastic contact portion of the third contact bottom portion of the partitioning member is elastically engaged with the rolled-paper holder. Accordingly, the partitioning member may easily be set into the rolled-paper holder by merely pushing the partitioning member therein. Further, the third contact bottom portion of the partitioning member may be brought into close contact with the rolled paper-holder.
In the invention, the coupling mechanism includes a lower engaging portion that connects said bottom wall and said partitioning member, and upper engaging portion that connects said second contact side wall and said partitioning member. Further, the upper engaging portion of the coupling mechanism includes a protruded part protruding from the upper end of the second contact side wall of the rolled-paper holder, and a hole on the partitioning member that is coupled with the protruded part. Such mechanical arrangements are preferable to fix a posture of the partitioning member or to secure an easy setting of the partitioning member.
The partitioning member is made of transparent material. By so doing, the user can visually confirm the engaging locations through the partitioning member. This greatly contributes to the increase of efficiency when inserting the partitioning member into the rolled-paper holder.
The partitioning member preferably includes a widthwise movement contacting portion that sets a predetermined width between the first and third contact side portions when it comes in contact with a guide face that is parallel to the first contact side wall and that is provided on the second contact side wall.
Therefore, when the partitioning member is set into the rolled-paper holder while the widthwise movement contacting portion is brought into contact with the guide surface, the partitioning member may be set to a predetermined location where the second rolled paper or third rolled paper may be supported. This feature greatly contributes to the increase of efficiency.
In the invention, the widthwise movement contacting portion includes a first widthwise movement contacting portion and a second widthwise movement contacting portion, said first widthwise movement contacting portion is formed on the side of said third contact side wall that is opposite to said third bottom portion, wherein the first widthwise movement contacting portion may come in contact with said second contact side wall, said second widthwise movement contacting portion is shorter than said first widthwise movement contacting portion, and said first widthwise movement contacting portion is separable from said third contact side wall. In this case, the first widthwise movement contacting portion is provided with a groove formed near the third contact side wall to facilitate separation of the first widthwise movement contacting portion from the third contact side wall.